Interview With An Artist: Jésica Cichero

ENGLISH VERSION
Jésica Andrea Cichero was born on January 31, 1985 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

She’s an self-taught illustrator. She uses exaggeration to express her own way of seeing things.

Her illustrations had been exhibited in Argentina, México, USA, Spain, France and Italy.

In 2014 she held an exhibition, together with Andrea Toledo and Cheryl de los Reyes Cruz, called “Mujeres x Mujeres” (Women by Women) at the Alianza Francesa de Palermo, Buenos Aires.

Since 2015, she collaborates with the section “Nuevas Voces” (New Voices) in the spanish magazine “Actúa” (Act), dedicated to stories of young actors and directors.

Also she’s the co-founder of http://www.entusiastagallery.com, a gallery of graphic and artistic projects made with enthousiasm, together with the illustrator David Pugliese.

She’s living in Barcelona, Spain.
1- When did you start to get interested in art? What motivated you to be an illustrator and designer?
In my childhood, like almost everyone. I suppose I reacted positively to certain involuntary stimuli. I remember that my grandmother made me look for a pair of monkeys in the stains on the floor tiles, with no apparent reason other than entertaining. When I was nine years old, she passed away, and a cousin of her gave me Caloi’s book “Aquí me pongo a cantar”, edited by Notabil where she worked, which I looked at and read infinitely. That my parents agreed to buy me a Picasso’s book when it got my attention in a newspaper stand. A friend of my father, Carlos Celsi, a chemist and amateur in drawing and photography, who made us draw and also drew with us. Puppets and theater. Both in the kindergarten and in the school, the art and music classes … Everything that had drawings or a vague form of a drawing caught my attention and I felt it belongs to me.

Design appeared first associated with the crafts and gifts that I prepared in my house. I liked doing things with my hands and for others besides myself. Then in high school (Polimodal of Art, Design and Communication) that took shape and was what led me to study graphic design of packaging in the university. In both institutions I had positive experiences with video and radio, two very interesting media as well.
2- How did you become in this profession and what are your referents?
In drawing I had a self-taught formation. In addition to the paintings I saw in museums and the history of art, animation was always and still is a great inspiration for me.

Caloi en su tinta, an argentinian TV programme, was fundamental, because it showed much more than the animation of the American animation studios. The drawings, the stories and the climates were absolutely different. Video clips, if they used animation, instantly became my favorites. Lucas Arts video games like Sam & Max, based on Steve Purcell’s comic, had some really cool graphics, history and characters. Sega’s, like Sonic and Earthworm Jim above all, offered a very close interaction to manipulate a cartoon which fascinated me. Humor was present in these video games and in the strips of Fontanarrosa, Caloi and Maitena that appeared in newspapers and magazines. Good drawing was always essential for something to catch my eye. The boxes of the films in vhs, of the discs and the covers of the books that had illustrations and paintings took all my attention. I could spend hours in the video stores, music stores and bookstores watching everything that was drawn.

Then I met David Pugliese, my husband. As an illustrator, he also became a natural and important influence. With him I discover the universe of comics, until then unkown for me, Carlos Nine, Alcatena, Hugo Pratt, Maitena and the countless great Argentine masters of drawing. Today, we continue to learn together.

Finally, the animations of Bill Plympton, John Krickfalusi, Johanna Quinn, Michaela Pavlatová, and Nina Paley are among my favorites.
3- You make different types of arts, you are illustrator, cartoonist, graphic designer and dance contemporary dances, do you think that integrating the arts strengthen personal projects?
Well, I’m not a professional dancer, but an amateur. I do dance, enjoy and investigate what it gives me and what does the movement generates. Each of these disciplines helps me to be alive. In my particular case, consciously and unconsciously, in one area I unlock things from the other. Having them talk helps me on a personal and professional level. My life is my personal project, meanwhile I try to do things that are fairly interesting with what I’m discovering.
4- How was “Enthusiast Gallery” born and what do they offer to the public?
Entusiasta Gallery was born working on different projects together with David. We decided to give a name to this dynamic of collaboration, with which we create graphic and artistic products. Enthusiastic Gallery seemed appropriate, because with these projects that we are doing appears a kind of gallery of creations; all made with the inexplicable enthusiasm that drawing makes us feel.
So far we have an art toy called the pirate Milbatallas (Thousand battles in english), the book Caricaturas of David Pugliese, posters illustrated with different drawings and thematic caricatures like Monster Pop, jazz, cinema, music, among others. We are currently preparing an illustrated postcards book called “Entrega Especial (Special Delivery) which compiles the ones we were releasing on our website, and a small video game called “Bughi the fruits hunter”.
We are happily always doing things. In addition to our website http://www.entusiastagallery.com, we also try to make events and at least one exhibition a year, to make known what we do with drawing in a more direct and tangible way. The idea is that people can get to know us and get some of this enthusiasm home.

Accatone-Pasolini-JésicaCichero

5- What are your future goals?
My future is today. Doing things that make me happy today is my goal.

Life-drawing+Jésica-Cichero
6 – What would you advise someone who starts in the art?
Advice is always difficult to give, especially if the receptor understand it in a finished and absolute way. That is why I prefer to say that, in my opinion today, I consider that someone who wants to devote his life or part of it to art must be curious about its history and of course life itself. A kind of observer philosopher who materializes, through the discipline he chooses, that which attracts his attention. That hesitates, asks (and asks to itself), observes, reflect and know itself. Learn from the great masters of the different artistic disciplines. Do whatever feels important to do, because if not, all that wonder dies inside.
7- How has moving to Spain changed/affected your artwork/career? // how does it differ being an artist in Argentina versus over there?
In my particular case, moving was a decision of life rather than work or career. I continue my artistic pursuit as I did there, as always. That does not leave me. I must confess that I tried to forget all of this in a moment, to be someone else. Frankly I could not, so I have no choice but to take care of who I am and try to give my best. The word artist, like the profession, seems to imply difficulty wherever you are. I try to be brave and keep doing.http://www.jesicacichero.com
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SPANISH VERSION
Jésica Andrea Cichero nació el 31 de Enero de 1985 en la ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.